Direction indicator for vehicles



Oct. 16, 1928. 1,688,086

s. w. MAYHEW DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES Filed June 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1L Oct. 16, 1928.

1,688,086 S. W. MAYHEW DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES Filed June 5, 1926 2 heats-Sheet 2 STOPO Patented Oct. 16, 19.28.

' SIDNEY WILLIAM MAYHEW, OF WAIUTA, NEW ZEALAND.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES;

Application filed June 5, 1926, Serial No.

This invention relates to indicators for in dicating the intending direction of a vehicle, more part cularly motor vehicles.

The object of the present invention is to enable the driver ofa vehicle to indicate to persons on the road the direction he intends to take. 7

According to my present invention, a sided drum or roller is employed, suitably mounted in a box and adapted to rotate therein, such rotation being controlled from the instrument board of the vehicle. Each side of this drum is provided with the desired indicating matter, such as the words Stop, Back, Right, Left, and Ahead. These are adapted to show white by day but to :be illuminated by night. In the case of'the first four of these, a circular redlight would be shown at the end of each word by night.

One of these-devicesmay be fixed on both the front and rear of the vehicle.

In construction the drum would be built up of separate sides, and each side has provided therein the lettering forming the de- 1 sired word. This. may be obtained by either cutting the letters in the wall of the drum and closing the openings thereof by asheet of glass whichwill show white by day and luminous bynight by means of a light within the drum. Similarly,the opening for the red light may be closed by a red glass.

An electric lamp is arranged within the drum and may be supported by a pipe which extends inwards from the end of the casing, and on which one end of the drum is journalled. The drum is rotated by means of bevel gears of which onewould be fixed upon a spindle of the drum and the other mounted in a suitable bearing in the casing. This latter gear is adapted to be rotated by flexible steel Wire leading to a disc mountedon the instrument board of the vehicle and operating in conjunction with a pointer and letters corresponding to the words on the drum, or by means of suitable rods and gearin should the driver desire to indicate that he intends to turn to the left, he places the pointer opposite the letter L on the disc and the drumwill then turn so as to expose the side containing the word Left.

The invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein 7 113,943, and in New Zealand June a, 1925.

Figure 1, is a side view showing the general arrangement of the device.

Figure 2, is a front view of an indicator disc;

Figure 3, is a sectional elevation thereof.

Figure 4, is across section. a

Figure 5, is a view of a detail.

Figure 6, is a front elevation of the indicating device.

Figure '7, is a. longitudinal sectional elevation thereof.

Figure 8, is a cross section on line A-A, Figure 2. 1 c

Figure 9,-is a detail view of a section of the drum.

Referring first to Figures 6 to 8, an outer casing 1 has contained within it a five sided drum 2 which is mounted by means of a pin 3 projecting from the end of such drum 2 and adapted to rotate in a bearing 4 in an, i

end wall 5 of the casing-1. The other end of the drum is rotatable upon a tube 6 projecting from the other end of the casing 1.

The front of the casing 1 has a longitudinal opening 7' adapted to be closed by' a sheetof clearglass 8. Brackets 9 on the casing 1 enable the casingto be fixed to a convenient part of a vehicle by the aid of the clips '10. r

The tube fi'extends into the drum and an electric lamp 11 is'sup'ported from the end of the tube, as shown,.while the wires 12 to the lamp pass through'the tube. 1

The drum is rotated by mean's'of a bevel gear 14: fixed onthe pin 3 and gearing' -with another bevel, gear '15 mounted on a spindle 16 journalled in a bearing 17 fixed to the casing 1-. V

The drum 2 is built of five separate sides as shown, and each side may have letters cut therein, as in Figure 6, and the openings 19 of the letters closed by a sheet of glass 20 which is suitably s'ecuredagainst the sides of the drum and which would enable the letters to show white by day and luminous by night. i

In the case of the words Right,-Stop, Back and Left, there would be an opening 21 which would be closed by a red glass so that attention is drawn to the device. a

One of these devices may be mounted on both the front and rear ends of the vehicle, as shown in Figure 1, in which case the spindle 16 is connected by a universal joint 17 to a rod 18 and then by another universal joint 19110 a rod 20 which projects through a disc 21 fixed upon the steering column by means of a plate 22 "lhe disc 21 has openings 23, shown in Figures 2 and 3, and behind these openings transparent plates having letters thereon corresponding tothe Words on the drum, e. A will indicate 'ahead'; It "right"; 'tn stop; B back; and L left. The letters may be opaque and transparent plates fixed behind the disc by means or any suitable adhesive or any other suitable means. On the end of the rod which projects through the disc an operating pointer handle 21 is fixed by a screw 25 and in the face of this handle an opening 26 is formed so that the letters can be viewed through the opaque opening. I

The handle 24- is iformed ot a spring plate as shown, and has a projection 27 to engage in notches 28 as arranged opposite the initial letters. The rear side of the disc may carry a casing 29 into which is led ltltlfll) socket 230 to receivean eiectric burner 31 so that the initial lotters'may be ilhnninated by night. The gears 1-1- and 15am arranged so that they will rotate-11h e drum to the positions indicated on he discto correspond with the letters-when the handle 24 is rotated to the corresponding initial ietter.

In the case of the indicator at therear of ,thevehiele, this-may be operated as shown -1I1 Figure 1 by Ii'lGfiXlSOf a sprocket gear 32 onthe rod 18 driving,byineans oi a sprocket chain 33, another sprocket Wheel 3% fixed In place otthe arrangement shown in handle 24-.

Figure 1 the spindle 16 may be connected to a flexible steel wire which will lead to the disc 21 and be attached to the' operating lVhat I claim is i j A direction indicator for vehicles comprising a polysided drum having an opening in "each of said sides closed by" translucent openings in the drum may register, a transparent plate covering the opening in said casing, a tubular member extending through an opening in an end wall of thecas'ing and rigid with the casing, and extending through an opening in the adjacent end Wall of said drum .and'ha-ving said extended end lying within said drum, whereby-said end or the drum is ournalled, an outwart'lly extending trunnion rigid with-the other end Wall of the drum and extending through an opening ins-aid casing,'Wherebythe other end of said drum is journalled, .a drumwa'otiiatingdevice comprising a rotary shaft operatively ccen- 'nected with said trunnion, a dial through which one end of said shift extends andfis rotatabl-y journalled, .res'i lent crank handle mounted on theend of said shaft :andadjacent one face 01 said diahsaiddialhavinga circun'iterential series of spaced openings therein covered by translucent plates bearing signal indicators corresponding-t0 signal in dicators on said drunnan opening in anarm, of said crankhandle to alignwith openings in said dial to i indicatethe positionrof :said 'drun'i with respect to the opening in said casing, notches onthe periphery of saidv dial,

and a projection on said crank handle for co-operatingwith said notches to lock 'the crankhandle in adjusted positions, and a light mounted behind said dial;

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

SIDNEY WILL AM MA-YEA W 

